Bicycle handle-bar



(NbModeL) J. H. LA FAVE.

BICYCLE HANDLE BAR.

No. 590,894. Patented Sept. 28, 1897.

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PATENT JOSEPH H. LA FAVE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

BICYCLE HANDLE-BAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,894, dated September 28, 1897. Application filed March 1, 1897. Serial No. 625,642. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosnPH H. LA FAvna citizen ofthe UnitedStates', residing at To-" ledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful I1n-. provements in Bicycle Handle-Bars; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.=

My invention relates to handle-bars for bi-1 cycles and other velocipedes, and more para ticnlarly to that class known as adj ustable"- handle-bars; and its novelty and ad vantages will be fully understood from the following,

description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my improved handle-bar complete. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation, partly broken away, showing the connection of the bar proper to the stem which is ordinarily inserted in and secured to the steering-head of a bicycle.

sleeve, which is fixed on the bar proper,

arranged thereon and secured thereto. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the ,upper' end of the stem, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the interiorly-threaded ring. .4 In the said drawings similar letters designate corresponding parts in allof the several views, referring to which A indicates a metallic stem, which is preferably tubular and is designed to be inserted in and secured to the steering-head of a bicycle in the ordinary manner. This stem A is provided at its upper end with a tubular head B of about the proportional width and diameter illustrated, and this head at one side or end is provided with indentations a, which are preferably of a semicircular form and are arranged a slight distance apart, as shown, for a purpose presentlyto be described.

0 indicates the handle-barproper, which is preferably of wood and of any shape suitable to the purposes of my invention, and D indicates the sleeve, which is placed on the bar O at the middle thereof. This sleeve D is provided at one end with the exterior threads Fig. 3 is a detail elevation with the enlarged, end of the Fig. i is a perspective view, of a portion of the bar proper with the sleeve:

1) and at its opposite end with the enlarge ment 0, and in the inner side of the said enlargement it has the annular recess cl, the purpose of which is to receive the indented end of the head B and thereby prevent the collection of dust in the indentations a, so as to always insure the proper working of the device. The recessed enlargement 0 also serves in practice to hide the indentations a of the head B from view, and therebyim proves the appearance ot the device. As before stated, the sleeve D is mounted on the handle-bar proper at the middle thereof, and it is secured to said bar by thediametrically-disposed pin E, as better shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. This pin E is arranged in the same vertical plane as the recess d, and is preferably of a length equal to the diameter of the enlargement c of the sleeve D, so that its ends will be flush with the periphery of the said enlargement, and, in addition to securing the sleeve D to the handle-bar proper, it is designedandfadapted to seat in diametrically opposite indentations at of the stem-head B, so as to strongly, and secnrelyfix the handlebar proper against turning in the said head.

F indicatesthe interiorly-threaded ring or Lnu't whiohris designed to engage the exterior threads I) of the sleeve D and'whe'n turned in the proper direction thereon to draw the handle-bar proper and the sleeve endwise, so as to bring the pinE into engagement with the indentedend of the stem-head Band securely hold the pin in engagement with said head, so as to fix the handle-bar proper in the position to which it has been adjusted. WVhen turned sufficiently in the opposite direction,

the ring F will permit of the handle-bar ring F by hand, its periphery is preferably milled or roughened, as shown, and for the sake of uniformity in appearance the periphcry of the sleeve enlargement c is also preferably milled, as illustrated.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the turning of the ring F in one direction permits of the handle-bar proper, O, and the sleeve D thereon being moved endwise, so as to carry the pin E out of engagement with the indentations and admit of the handle-bar being turned until its ends or handgrasps rest in the position desired by the rider. lVhen turned in the opposite direction, the nut or ring F, in virtue of its hearing against one end of the head B, will draw the handle bar proper and the sleeve D through thehead, and will conseqnentlyd raw the pin E into two diametrically opposite indentations a of the head B, and thus securely, although adj ustahly, fix the handle-bar proper with respect to the head B. It will also be observed that in the present embodiment of my invention the nut F may be turned by hand and that consequently an adjustment of the handle-bar will not entail the employment of a wrench or other implement, which is an important advantage. If desired, the pin E may be made of such a length as to extend from the peripheryof the sleeve enlargement 0 at one point into, but not through, the handle-bar proper. Such a pin, however, would engage only one indentation of the head B and would not effect as stronga connection of the sleeve D to bar C or as strong a connection of the sleeve D to the head B as the pin E illustrated and described.

Having described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an adjustable handle-bar for bicycles and other velocipedes, the combination of a stem havingatubular head provided with indentations at one end, a handle-bar proper extending through the tubular head of the stem, a sleeve arranged on the handle-bar proper and also extending through the stemhead and having exterior threads and also having an enlargement; said enlargement beingprovided in its inner side with an annular recess to receive the indented end of the stemhead, a pin connecting the sleeve to the handle-bar proper and extendinginto the recess in the enlargement of the sleeve and adapted to engage the indentations of the stem-head, and a nut mounted on the threaded portion of the sleeve, substantially as specified.

2. In an adjustable handle-bar for bicycles and other velocipedes, the combination of a stem having a tubularhead provided withindentations at one end, a handle-bar proper extending through the tubular head of the stem, a sleeve arranged on the handlebar proper and also extending through the stemhead and having exterior threads and also having an enlargement; said enlargement being provided in its inner side with an annular recess to receive the indented end of the stem-head, a diametrically-disposed pin arranged in the same plane as the recess in the enlargement and extending through the handle-bar proper and also extending through the annular recess of the sleeve enlargement to the periphery thereof so as to engage two indentations of the stem-head, and a nut mounted on the threaded portion of the sleeve, substantially as specified.

3. In an adjustable handle-bar, the combination of a handle-bar proper, a sleeve secured on the handle-bar proper and having exterior threads and also having an enlargement provided in its inner side with an annular recess, a stem having a head receiving the handle-bar proper and the sleeve thereon and provided at one end with indentations; said indented end being adapted to take into said annular recess, means in the annular recess of the sleeve for engaging the indentations of the head, and a nut mounted on the threaded portion of the sleeve, substantially as specified.

at. In an adjustable handlebar, the combination of a stem provided with a tubular head having indentations at one end, ahandle-bar proper arranged in said tubular head,a sleeve mounted on the handle-bar proper and also arranged in the tubular head and having ex terior threads, a pin, for engaging the indentations of the tubu lar head,extending through the sleeve and into the handle-bar proper so,

as to connect the sleeve and bar, and a nut mounted on the threaded portion of the sleeve, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH H. LA FAVE. IVitnesses:

GEO. B. ORWIG, AUG. WOLPERT. 

